Design: Hot bathroom looks

From rustic flooring to repurposed antique vanities, experts share which bathroom looks are white-hot right now.

By Douglas Trattner

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Douglas Trattner

Posted Mar. 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 7, 2012 at 7:17 AM

By Douglas Trattner

Posted Mar. 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 7, 2012 at 7:17 AM

» Social News

From rustic flooring to repurposed antique vanities, experts share which bathroom looks are white-hot right now.

Bring bling to the bath

“I love to bring an ornate chandelier that looks like it should go in an entryway or dining room into the bathroom ... It really connects the dots throughout the house,” says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas design firm Eleven 11.

Drop a sink in it

“For a one-of-a-kind piece, I like finding a really great piece of furniture, like a sideboard or bedside table, and dropping a sink into it to use as a vanity,” says Taylor. Anything found and refurbished that fits the scale of the room can work.

Wood is the new black

“A wood floor goes with absolutely everything,” Taylor says. Unlike the smooth, featureless planks found at a lumberyard, wood from old barns or salvage yards boasts visually compelling natural features. If treated properly, the wood can stand up to the moist environment.

Floating fixtures

“If you are open to a little less privacy, installing a wall-mounted toilet can turn a very divided space into a massive-feeling bathroom,” says Taylor. Toilets often are stowed in a water closet, concealed behind walls that chop up the space and kill sight lines. By floating these fixtures on a wall, notes Taylor, you increase both usable and perceived space.

Showers

The new bathroom luxury. More and more clients are ditching the tub in favor of a luxurious shower, says Libby Palmieri of House of L Interior Design in Cleveland. “A Jacuzzi tub used to be the pinnacle of luxury a few years ago,” she says. “Now, most homeowners would rather have a gorgeous shower that they can enjoy every day.”

Poured in place

Concrete “is what we are seeing now at the best luxury hotels and resorts,” says Taylor. Instead of being cold, hard and sterile, Taylor says concrete is “surprisingly natural, organic and comforting.” It also is functional, as it is often prepared and poured in place, unlike granite, which must be cut off-site and delivered.